The Milton NPA would like to take this opportunity to ask
leading candidates in the March NSW State election (South Coast constituency)
to outline their own and their party’s position in four key areas, as follows:
1.The Shooters and Fishers Party have draft legislation (the
National Park Estate (South Western Cypress Reservation) Amendment Bill 2012),
whose aim it is to revoke the status of the bed level of Meroo Lake as a
national park. [Please indicate your own and your parties position on this
matter].
Personally I am outraged at this proposal, I couldn’t
attend a recent media awareness event at Meroo but was able to arrange for my
husband Glenn and friends Gail and Michael to attend on my behalf, they were
stunned at the stupidity of this recommendation and have become advocates for
the issue. The Shooters and Fishers are promoting self-centred, short cited
policy positions that will have no benefit into the future.
The Greens in no way support this Bill and will endeavour
to keep the status of Meroo as it currently stands.
2.Many of the walking tracks in the various national parks
in the Shoalhaven, in particular Morton National Park, have not been properly
maintained in recent years and are now increasingly difficult to use other than
by experienced bushwalkers. NPWS indicate that they would require additional
funding to properly maintain these walking tracks. [Please indicate you own and
your parties commitment to the proper funding of these walking tracks]
I understand that many walkers would be frustrated by lack
of investment in track maintenance. National Parks and the Office of
Environment and Heritage generally are considering low hanging fruit by
Coalition governments for budget cuts, many departments have reached a critical
point in the funding squeeze that they are at the edge of becoming
dysfunctional. The Greens would increase the funding to OEH and National Parks
in particular as we believe that conservation plays a major part in resilience.
Economically Australia has some issues even though we are still one of the
wealthiest countries in the world, we demand services not service cuts and need
an improved tax regime to distribute wealth across the 3 levels of government.
Abolishing corporate welfare would fund many of the services that NSW is crying
out for.
3.Countries such as New Zealand and South Africa have made
major investments into sustainable eco-tourism in areas similar to the
Shoalhaven. The Milton NPA is of the view that such investment is both a major
provider of local jobs and also provides a strong economic incentive to
properly maintain the local natural environment. [Please indicate your own and
your parties view on this matter, and any concrete action plans you may have in
this regard]
My experiences on Shoalhaven Council lead me to the
conclusion that sustainable eco-tourism is a term that has been abused in the
Shoalhaven area and has more often been adopted as a cover up for spurious
development. However I consider the Shoalhaven to be an excellent location for
a number of real developments. In particular I would like the future to see us
develop the following types of assets, A Wetlands Ecology centre around Lake
Wollumboola, A Marine ecology centre in Ulladulla or Huskisson and I don’t
think we should forget the value of our forests in the South. Through my
promotion of the Fossils at Ulladulla harbour I was one of the original drivers
with Phil Smart on the Fossil Walk, I still think there is marvellous potential
to bring together geology and forestry for an educational experience in the
southern Shoalhaven. I am not aware of
any specific policy positions held by The Greens in regards to eco-tourism
other than our planning policy which reinforces a community consultative
approach. The Greens were at the forefront of the fight for Killalea State Park
and making sure that community assets are not sold for private benefit. We would
also benefit from an Aboriginal Cultural Centre- but such a project needs to be
driven by that community.
4. Our national parks currently face the prospect of
extractive industries, including logging, gaining entry into previously
protected park areas. In particular, a trial “ecological thinning” programme is
planned for the Red Gum national park in southern NSW.[Please comment on your
own and your parties views on the possible opening up of national parks to
logging and associated timber extraction ].
Hardwood logging in NSW should stop immediately. Forests
NSW are currently running a $11million dollar loss on their hardwood industry
which is covered up by the profits from softwood. It makes no sense to continue
with this under-priced and undervalued industry. To transfer logging rights
into the National Park Estate is ludicrous and will perhaps only extend the
inevitable i.e. closure of the hardwood industry. It is absolutely criminal
that hardwood logs are worth a mere $6 per tonne! I have written a proposal
that would see all logging in the Shoalhaven Forests cease and a Forest
Stewardship program be trialled in respect to measuring and caring for Forests
as Carbon Sequestration assets. Forests are worth far more intact for their
ecological services to the planet than they are as wood chip or undervalued
wood products. If you would like further detail on my proposal it is available
on my blog at… http://amandashoalhavengreens.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/putting-carbon-back-in-native-forests.html
Perhaps some of the other article will interest your
members.
The NSW Greens will campaign vigorously to protect our
National Park assets from watered down policy.
Thank you for your input. If you agree, we will circulate
your responses to our membership base.
I am very happy for you to share my correspondence with
your membership, or to talk further on any particular matters.
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